Defeat is one thing every team hates. Unfortunately, the Lady Raiders fell short to the Red Devils of Hunterdon Central. Coming into the game the Raiders were 2-5 and were seeking a win. They knew the game against Central was going to be a tough one. Central were coming into the game with a record of 5-1. Senior Jillian Boose played Central the past 3 years, and expected them to be as good as ever.

“We have gone back and forth with Central over the past few years, each game closer than the last,” Boose said. “Our goal going in was to not let ourselves get down, and to fight for every point we did. The energy on the court during the Central game was different from any other game we had previously played, and it really helped us in the long run.”

Both sets in the game were back and forth, and the Raiders showed plenty of fight despite losing.

The first set ended in favor of Central 25-20 and the second one 25-22. Even though they lost in two sets, the Raiders kept it close against a very good Central team. Sophomore setter Morgan Krempasky was proud about her team’s performance.

“I think the Central game proved how well our chemistry is coming together,” Krempasky said. “Being so close in score with Central really boosted the team’s confidence that we can bring forward into our next games.”

In the loss, junior Lenah Chedid led the team in kills with five and six service points, and Boose added four kills as well. In addition, sophomore Alyssa Goldstein had a team high 13 digs, and Krempasky helped the team with 15 assists.

The Raiders will travel to Bridgewater to take on the Panthers in a rivalry match on Oct. 3.